Varied Bunting
Varied Bunting has risen sharply: up 50% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Varied Bunting
The Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor) is a North American member of the Cardinals & Grosbeaks (Cardinalidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–8.5 in long (12–22 cm) — a medium songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 38 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 3 states, most concentrated in the Chihuahuan Desert.
- Family
- Cardinalidae · Forest birds
Notable Varied Bunting Trends
No notable trend signals for Varied Bunting. See the full index history below.
Varied Bunting Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Varied Bunting is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±60.6%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Varied Bunting Is Detected
BBS routes recording Varied Bunting, sized by most recent count.
Varied Bunting Population Trend by State
| Arizona | +14% | 1971 | 8 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | -47% | 1970 | 29 |
Varied Bunting Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -33% | 1971 | 8 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -76% | 1970 | 19 |
Varied Bunting Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 50% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.